History | Smithsonian

New Photos from the New York Times of Black Life

The editors of the new book, “Unseen” talk about recognizing the paper of record’s biases

The Cardiff Giant Was Just a Big Hoax

Even though it didn't really look much like a petrified person, spectacle-seekers flocked to view it

How Margarita Cansino Became Rita Hayworth

Hayworth navigated identity, ethnicity and transformation throughout her career

The "Unlikely Historians" of the NYPD

A new exhibit showcases photos and films that have long been stowed away in a basement at New York Police Department's headquarters

Mark Twain Liked Cats Better Than People

Who wouldn't?

Some Vikings' Funeral Clothes Bore Arabic Words

While contact between Vikings and Muslim cultures is well documented, the interpretation of the 10th-century burial cloth has been called into question

Battle of Fort McHenry through Francis Scott Key

When the British army held Francis Scott Key captive aboard one of their warships during the Battle of Baltimore, they could never have guessed his stay would inspire their enemy's most-patriotic song

The Religious Roots of America’s Love for Camping

How William H.H. Murray accidental bestseller launched the country's first outdoor craze

New Photos from the New York Times of Black Life — New Photos from the New York Times of Black Life

The editors of the new book, “Unseen” talk about recognizing the paper of record’s biases

The Cardiff Giant Was Just a Big Hoax — The Cardiff Giant Was Just a Big Hoax

Even though it didn't really look much like a petrified person, spectacle-seekers flocked to view it

How Margarita Cansino Became Rita Hayworth — How Margarita Cansino Became Rita Hayworth

Hayworth navigated identity, ethnicity and transformation throughout her career

The "Unlikely Historians" of the NYPD — The "Unlikely Historians" of the NYPD

A new exhibit showcases photos and films that have long been stowed away in a basement at New York Police Department's headquarters

Mark Twain Liked Cats Better Than People — Mark Twain Liked Cats Better Than People

Who wouldn't?

Some Vikings' Funeral Clothes Bore Arabic Words — Some Vikings' Funeral Clothes Bore Arabic Words

While contact between Vikings and Muslim cultures is well documented, the interpretation of the 10th-century burial cloth has been called into question

Battle of Fort McHenry through Francis Scott Key — Battle of Fort McHenry through Francis Scott Key

When the British army held Francis Scott Key captive aboard one of their warships during the Battle of Baltimore, they could never have guessed his stay would inspire their enemy's most-patriotic song

The Religious Roots of America’s Love for Camping — The Religious Roots of America’s Love for Camping

How William H.H. Murray accidental bestseller launched the country's first outdoor craze

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